Hobble for driving-horses.



N0. 655L856. Paten'md UM. l6, I900. T. F. NEAGLE. HUBBLE FOR DRIVINGHORSES.

(Application filed July 21, 1900.)

(No Modal.)

n4: NORRIS versu cov woro-uwo. WA$HINOTON, u c

Srarns ATE FFICEQ THOMAS F. NEAGLE, OF LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY,

HOBBLE FOR DRIVING-HORSES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 659,856, dated October16,1900.

Application filed July 21, 1900. Berial No. 24,389. No model.)

citizen of the United States,residing at the city of Lexington, State ofKentucky, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in .Hobblesfor Driving-Horses, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same, reference being bad to theaccompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in whichFigure 1 is a view of a horse, showing my improved hobble in positionthereon; and Fig. 2 is a detail view of the hobble.

This invention relates to a new and useful improvement in hobbies fordrivinghorses, the object being to train the horse to take high stepsand to develop those muscles in the front limbs to enable the horse totake such steps after comparatively little exercise with the bobble.

.Vith this object in view the invention consists in the construction,arrangement, and combination of the several parts, all as willhereinafter be described and afterward pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, A indicates ankle-bands, which are preferably paddedand secured in position upon the ankles of the front feet by suitablestraps and buckles a.

B indicates straps,which are attached to the ankle-bands A by means ofsuitable buckles b, one of such straps being on each side of theankle-bands. These straps are connected at their upper ends with anelastic cord 0, said elastic cord shown in Fig. 1 as connecting theinside and outside straps together, respectively.

1) indicates a pulley-block provided with two pulleys, over which theelastic bands 0 pass. Pulley-block D is provided with the usualswivel-eye d, through which eye passes a strap E, said strap supportingthe pulleyblock upon some suitable part of the harness-such, forinstance, as the girth-strap.

In operation the bobble is attached as shown in Fig. 1, and when thehorse is driven the elastic bands pass over the pulleys, exerting a pullupon the lifted leg, so that said lifted leg will yield in a natural wayto such pressure and be lifted higher than would perhaps be doneotherwise. the muscles are developed to such an extent that the motioninduced by the bobble will be practiced by the animal without apparenteffort after the horse has exercised some little time with the bobble.In practice it is desirable to place the bobble in position for aboutfifteen minutes during the morningand evening exercise.

By adjusting the straps l3 and the strap E the tension of the yieldingor elastic cords can be regulated so that the device may be adapted tohorses having different gaits or to horses of different sizes.

I am aware that minor changes in the arrangement, construction, andcombination of the several parts of my device can be made andsubstituted for those herein shown and described without in the leastdeparting from the nature and principle of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patcut, is

1. In a device of the character described, the combination with theanklebands designed to be secured to the fore feet of a horse, of anelastic cord connected to said anklebands, and a device carried by somesuitable su pport located between and to the rear of the fore legs,through which device said elastic cord is free to pass to accommodatethe movement of the front feet and exert a lifting tension upon the forefeet by being connected to said ankle-bands; substantially as described.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination with theankle-bands designed to be secured to the fore feet of a horse, ofelastic cords connected to the inner and outer sides of said hands, agirth-strap, and a pulley-block secured to said girth-strap and throughwhich said bands freely pass; substantially as described.

3. In a device of the character described, the combination withankle-bands designed to be secured to the fore feet of a horse, ofadjustable straps secured to the inner and outer edges of one of saidbands, elastic cords connecting said straps to the ankle-band of theother foot, a girth strap, a pulley block through which said elasticbands freely pass,

In so lifting the front legs.

and an adjustable strap connected tov the girth-strap for supportingsaid pulley-block; substantially as described.

4:. In a device of the character described, the combination with paddedankle-bands designed to be secured to the fore feet of the horse,elastic straps connecting said hands together, means for adjusting thetension of said straps, the girth-strap carrying a. device 10 throughwhich said elastic straps pass, and

means for adjusting the position of said device relative to thegirth-strap; substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature, in the presence oftwo witnesses, 15

this 18th day of July, 1900.

THOMAS F. NEAGLE. Witnesses:

WM. I-I. SCOTT, A. S. GRAY.

